


Not So Lonely Anymore

by MaddieandChimney



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25165009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieandChimney/pseuds/MaddieandChimney
Summary: AU - When Doug somehow gets Maddie's new phone number, Chimney suggests she moves in with him for a few days to clear her head after she threatens to leave L.A to protect her brother.
Relationships: Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Kudos: 9
Collections: Madney One-Shots





	Not So Lonely Anymore

It was Chimney’s idea.

Maddie had been packing her clothes into a suitcase, tears falling down her face as she tried to explain to her brother that she couldn’t stay. Doug knew Buck, he knew what he looked like and if he came to LA, it would be all too easy to find her. For him to… use Buck to get to her. Her rantings were illogical, panic-stricken, terrified that her little brother would be hurt because of her.

It was one of many reasons she had to stop talking to him. Buck was edging closer and closer to visiting Hershey, the worry in his texts increasingly growing three years previously. She had to cut him out of her life because if he had turned up, she had no idea what her husband would do to him.

Chimney asked her if she would stay with him, at least until she sorted her head out. At least until she was calm enough to make logical decisions after her husband had somehow tracked down her new phone number. One panic attack, a whole lot of sobbing and reassuring words later, she had agreed. She hadn’t wanted to, but her brother was giving her eager puppy eyes, trying to soothe her with the knowledge she’d started over. She had a new job, she had people behind her, willing to fight for her.

Just a few days, just a few days until she was calmer. Until logic started to kick in and the panic calmed. Until the first urge wasn’t to run as far away from her brother, her new friends, and the life she had been so hopeful about.

Chimney had said it with such eagerness, an enthusiastic grin on his face as though it was the best plan. Doug didn’t know him, he didn’t know where he lived, he wouldn’t be able to find out easily, wouldn’t think to go looking for a Howard Han. So, she had reluctantly agreed to a few days, knowing there was no one in LA she’d trust more other than her brother.

It was _easy_ , it had only been two days but living with him was just as easy as it had been to get to know him. It was easy enough to fall into some kind of routine with him, as he dropped her off to work in the morning and picked her up on the way back, shifting his own hours a little just to help her settle in. At least, that’s what he told her – she knew it was because he had to calm her down from a panic attack that even Buck hadn’t been able to pull her from.

He was a gentleman, absolutely insisting he take the couch whilst she took his bed. By the second night, Maddie was over listening to the way her own heavy breathing took over the silence of his bedroom. Her chest, Doug’s words echoing through her head over and over again – he knew. He knew she was in LA, he knew she had gone running to her brother, and he was going to find her. He was going to bring her home… that much he had promised.

She’d had enough. So completely exhausted and lonely, tired of being afraid all the time. She had climbed out of the bed barely thinking about it, slowly making her way towards the living room where she could the gentle breaths of the kindest man she had ever met.

“Chimney?” Maddie brushes her hair behind her ears, tilting down a little to try and get closer to his ear, hoping she doesn’t terrify him too much. It was far too late in the night, but all she wanted was to not feel so alone. That was really most of what Doug had made her feel – so completely and utterly alone in the world. That was what he wanted, she was done giving in to him.

It takes her a second before she reaches out to touch his shoulder, biting down on her lip before she repeats his name. It’s enough – he groans, shifting ever so slightly before his eyes open, “M-Maddie? Is…” He sits up, she can see the anxiety on his face as he looks around and then at her, “Are you… is something wrong? Are you okay? Did he—did he call you again?”

She shakes her head quickly, bottom lip trembling, unsure why it was so hard to just ask him, to just get the words out. “Maddie, hey, hey, look at me.” The worry on his face is enough for her to grasp that her chest is heaving, too caught up in her own thoughts to realise.

“S-sorry. Sorry, um… I was… I can’t sleep.”

His head is nodding in understanding, his hand reaching for hers as he bites down on his lip, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

The question is enough to get her to get say the words that were caught in her throat, hand squeezing his, “… will you, maybe… maybe I’m asking for too much but if you can… if you want…” He’s so patient, just looking at her with wide eyes, waiting for her to just spit it out, “The bed is big enough for the both of us… I just feel so lonely, maybe I could sleep better if you were…”

Chimney nods when she trails off again, a small smile on his lips as he lets go of her hand only to stand up, “Of course, anything for you.” There’s relief when he’s walking towards the bedroom with her, sleepily rubbing his eyes as he yawns. “Just what’s going to make you the most comfortable? I can sleep facing away from you, I can sleep as far on the other side of the bed, over the covers…”

In the darkness of the bedroom she can make out the light pink of his cheeks, as he lets out a nervous laugh. “Maybe we can cuddle?” She questions, a meek shrug of her shoulders as she takes a deep breath, climbing back into the bed. Her body is heavy with tiredness, continually fighting sleep, until the man moves into the bed next to her, moving onto his back. He waits for her to make the first move, both of them smiling when she moves to rest her head on his chest, fingers clasping around his top as she feels her body relaxing for the first time.

“Can I wrap my arm around you?”

The fact that he’s even asking her permission is enough for her to nod, chest tight when the tears start to fall, “Th-thank you…” She whispers, feeling his hand coming to a rest on her back, feeling so completely comfortable and grateful for him. Even if the only thing she could take away from LA was knowing there was still so much kindness in the world.

“Anytime.” When his lips move to the top of her head, she takes a deep breath, eyes falling to a close, letting sleep come for what feels the first time in days.


End file.
